Fentanyl deaths spike in Baltimore

The number of people in Maryland who died after taking the narcotic Fentanyl increased by more than 70 percent in the first half of 2017, compared with the first half of last year, according to preliminary data the state Department of Health released Tuesday.

Deaths related to heroin and prescription opioids were relatively flat across the state, the data show.

Baltimore City Impact

Of the nearly 800 people who died as a result of taking Fentanyl in the first half of the year, 286 were in Baltimore City. That's an 81 percent increase in Fentanyl deaths in the city, over the same time period last year.

By comparison, three fewer people died in Baltimore as a result of heroin in the first half of the year compared with the first half of last year.